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Toto Wolff has been told that if he wants to sign Max Verstappen for Mercedes, he would have to pay for it from ‘his own pocket’.
Mercedes have enjoyed a flying start to the 2026 campaign, with George Russell winning the Australian Grand Prix before Kimi Antonelli took victory in China and Japan.
With a nine-point lead over Russell at the top of the standings, Antonelli has now emerged as the favourite to win the 2026 world title.
Meanwhile, Verstappen hasn’t enjoyed the new campaign, as Red Bull continue to struggle under the new regulations.
On the back of the Japanese Grand Prix, it was claimed that Verstappen is ‘seriously considering’ retiring from F1 at the end of the 2026 campaign.
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Although Verstappen’s future remains unclear, Mercedes team boss Wolff has previously stated his desire to sign the Dutchman.
Back in June 2025, Wolff said to Sky Sports: “As a team principal responsible for the best car brand in the world, it’s clear that you’re exploring what a four-time world champion is going to do in the future.”
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Toto Wolff will have to pay for Max Verstappen’s Mercedes move ‘out of his own pocket’
Speaking recently on the RacingNews365 Podcast, Dutch racing driver Mike Hezemans revealed a potential problem that could prevent Wolff from signing Verstappen.
He pointed out that Wolff has invested his own money into Mercedes, meaning he would have to pay for Verstappen’s move ‘out of his own pocket’.
Hezemans said: “Toto, well, I know him a bit and I also raced with him. Look, the problem is of course, he has his own money invested in Mercedes.
“So, if they have to pay for Max, then it comes out of his own pocket! Toto really wants to build a car like the one he has just made and then tell Max: ‘You want to win, just come to me’.
“He’s now shouting ‘Yeah i don’t need Max!’, but there isn’t a single team on the entire grid that doesn’t want Max. The question is always, can you afford it? And do you want to pay for it? That is now in Toto’s case.”
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FIA told Max Verstappen ‘will complain less’ if two changes are made to 2026 regulations
Hezemans has also stated that Verstappen will ‘complain less’ about the 2026 regulations when he sees changes being made.
He said: “I think Max will complain less when he sees that things are happening.
“Look, are they going to go back on the battery? Are they going to more fuel flow in qualifying? Things like that. Then, I think the moment he notices that they are doing something about it, he will complain less.”
Verstappen is arguably the biggest name in F1 right now, and the sport will have to listen to him or face losing him at the age of just 28.
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